Thank You, Mr. President !

It is so refreshing to listen to a president who is articulate, who knows the issues and can speak to them. President Obama did so tonite. No, I do not agree with his continuing the Bush policy of secrets in court. He said he wouldn't do it; but he's continuing Bush's policy. I don't buy his excuses. But I'm with him on most everything else: on Iraq, on the economy, on immigration, on health care. I agree with his attn general when he says that no one is above the law with regard to torture and it's execution and I hope he finds a way to deal with that. Sweeping it under the rug is not a satisfactory resolution. But, overall, I'm pleased and I'm proud. Thank you Mr. President.

Oh Please !

The New York Times today reports that some black directors are upset because August Wilson's "Joe Turner" revival on Broadway is being directed by white Bartlett Sher (who was approved by August's widow). Wilson himself insisted on black directors. So he was racist himself. It's time to get over it. His widow, Constanza Romero, insists it's time to select the best director, not the blackest. Good for her.

I love Wilson's plays. But he wasn't perfect.

Cuba, Si !

It's time to end the embargo. It never really worked anyway. Obama says he wants to start over with Cuba; let's do it. The world has changed in the last 50 years. Fidel has taken a back seat.

Humanatarian reasons are sufficient for us to stand up as Americans and help our neighbors. Let's do it.

Honeymoon

I guess it's over. I voted for President Obama, and overall I would say I'm pleased with his progress thus far. Most of the immediate problems we're facing were generated by the Bush administration, and it's a long, slow road out. I understand that.

Still, there were promises made. Transparency was a promise. Truth was a promise. Now we see Obama issuing "signing statements," where the president says he has no intention in following a law passed by the congress and signed by him. We have another president telling us that he is above the law. I'm really disappointed in that.

We have documents now released that clearly show Bush approved of torture. The letters from the justice department do not make legal that which is clearly illegal, yet the president and his administration are saying it's a time for reflection rather than justice. The director of the CIA says he will oppose any investigation of his operatives who worked under letters of approval from the justice department. Never mind that those letters carry no weight; they are not a court order or a rule of law. What Panetta is saying is that they "were only following orders." Where have we heard that before ? WW II Germany? That is no excuse! Bush KNEW torture was both illegal and against treaties, yet he approved torture anyway. The congress should beging with Bush and work their way down: Investigation, prosecution, conviction, incarceration: justice. So why does Obama plan to ignore this? I don't know. It troubles me.

Easter, resurrection, moving on

It was total chaos. Wall to wall grand children. Would we have it any other way? Endless noise, total toys, two boys, noise, girls, girls, girls. They laugh, they cry, they scream (with pain, annoyance or for no reason at all). The kitchen floor has never looked worse. There are toys every where even after they cleaned up.

But once they leave.....

Silence !

No one now crawling up into my lap, falling asleep in the comfort and warmth of the moment. No one now to play just one more game with; no one now to feed, clean up after, yell at, hug; no one now here who loves me quite the same way.

Oh yes, the love of my life is here; and yes she loves me inspite of all my faults and failures. And I love her for that.

But the silence of their absence reminds me of their presence and the presents, the gifts of their visit.

Good Saturday ?

Yesterday, Good Friday. Tomorrow, Easter. So what it today? Caught between a Rock and a hard place? A season so appropriate to where we are here. We visited the grave a week ago Tuesday, and now ? Our thoughts, our memories sore skyward toward heaven; toward life after death, our life. I guess that's the way it goes.

Life lingers

When someone we love dies, they often do not die all at once. Life lingers. In our minds, in our hearts, life lingers. So the grieving process takes time to sift and sort through memories. Only slowly do we let go.

When it rains, it pours

As though the hip replacement surgery wasn't enough, a grandson needing surgery added insult to injury, so off to help his Mother of 5 while he was attended too. And while we're there, at home, the phone call comes that Mom was returned from rehab to the hospital with a high white blood count, and shortly, the final call, she was gone. Back to Ohio.

Gathering, planning, preparing for the funeral and everything that goes with it: the service, the music, the flowers, the luncheon, this that and the other. Driving to pick up the kids coming in from out of town, arranging a place to sleep.... and so it goes. Kind've running on empty.

And it goes from bad to worse when one want to have everything settled in 30 days, or so it seems. She was a horder. Raised in depression years with nothing, she saved everything. No, you don't understand. She saved EVERYTHING. It's all bound with paper clips stacked and stored in cut off cardboard soup boxes.. every where. It will take a long time. Fragile feelings are frayed and fractured. Everyone take a deep breath and start over. There are three of them, two older daughters and the youngest, a son, the favored one and also the one resident, the caretaker, the executor. It's not easy for anyone. When it rains, it pours.

Beginings

This is new to me, but here I am. I'm in the midst of a family crises here; a death in the family. Those who remain are having to go through the grief process AND at the same time get into dealing with the estate matters all too soon and all too quickly. There is tension, hurt feelings, and it is just a sad difficult way to go through things. We have two more days of this then we're off and out of here for awhile. I'm ready for that.